A most enjoyable activity with family and friends: inviting them to dinner. A most stressful activity with family and friends: also inviting them to dinner. So that the preparation of Sunday roast for the loved ones doesn’t take toll on the nerves, Harry Albel and his son Moritz have come up with recipes that make everyone happy: truffled celery soup with glazed chestnuts and apple, Pulled Turkey with braised pumpkin and beetroot gnocchi and, for dessert, gingerbread crème brûlée with vanilla biscuit crumble and Wipfel.Gold blueberries. Because the dishes can be prepared at your own pace the day before, the hosts have more time for their guests. “It’s incredibly relaxing when the host doesn’t have to be glued to the stove all day before a dinner party,” rejoices Harry Albel. 

The confectioner, food designer and producer of all kinds of delicious spirits and liqueurs knows what he is talking about. Albel not only skilfully stages food, but also involves his son Moritz from an early age. In this way, culinary diversity can already be experienced by children. Especially cool for this menu: The job with the mortar. When mixing and grinding the spices, not only does a wonderful aroma develop, but it is also a great way to make a little gift for guests.

Preparing the food the day before is a winner all along the line: the chaos in the kitchen has long been cleared up by the time family and friends arrive, only the final touches remain to be done – like cutting fresh apples for the soup. If the gnocchi can steep in the beetroot juice for a night, there is a wow effect: “They turn really crazy pink,” Moritz is pleased to say. All you have to do is sauté them briefly in butter before serving.

Another tip from the pros: It’s best to prepare a sample plate the day before. “If you already know what should be where on the plate, it gives you confidence.” And if it gets late on the day of the party: It’s better to do the washing up straight away, so there’s no rude awakening and no long faces in the morning. 

Pulled Turkey / Braised Pumpkin / Beetroot Gnocchi

PULLED TURKEY

Approx. 2 kg turkey breast, 4 white onions, 15 small carrots, 1 small bunch of parsley, 250mL white wine, 200 g butter

For the marinade

1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp yellow mustard seed, 1 tsp smoked salt, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 4 cloves of fresh garlic, 2 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp olive oil 

Grind all the ingredients finely in a mortar and then mix with honey and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the turkey breast all over and leave it in the marinade for 24 hours in the fridge. Peel and slice the onion and fry in a roasting pan. Add the carrots and cover with the white wine. Remove the meat from the foil and sear separately on all sides. Then place on top of the vegetables, add the butter and cook covered in the oven at 120 degrees for three hours. When done, shred the meat, preferably with two forks or the Pulled Claw, and mix well with its own juices, the onions and carrots.

BEETROOT GNOCCHI

Gnocchi dough

250 g floury potatoes, 1 egg yolk, 35 g finely grated parmesan, 50 g flour, 40 g wheat semolina, beetroot powder, beetroot juice for pickling 

Wash the potatoes, boil, peel and press through the potato press. Mix with the remaining ingredients to form a dough and colour with beetroot powder. Roll out the dough into a sausage and portion into even pieces with a pastry cutter. Form small balls and roll over the back of a fork. Boil gently in salted water for about three minutes. The gnocchi come to the surface when they are cooked. Just before serving, heat in a pan with a little butter. Add freshly chopped spring onion to refine the gnocchi.

Tip: Soak the gnocchi in fresh beetroot juice after cooking, this gives them a great colour and flavour.

BRAISED PUMPKIN

1 pumpkin (specific type depends on supply and preference), 4 tbsp honey, thyme, salt, pepper, rosemary, olive oil, butter

Peel the pumpkin, if necessary, remove the seeds and cut into even pieces. Spread the pumpkin wedges on four pieces of aluminium foil and cover with salt, pepper, olive oil, herbs and butter. Double wrap in aluminium foil and place in the oven with the meat for one hour.

Truffled celery soup with glazed chestnuts and apple (serves 4)

1 celeriac, 2 apples, 4 shallots, 150 g butter, 200 ml cream, 100 ml white wine (fruity), salt, pepper, 500 mL Vegetable stock (from the peel of celery, carrots, etc.), pinch of nutmeg

Truffle oil to taste

Cooked chestnuts, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 dollop butter 

Peel and chop the shallots and celeriac and roast them lightly with a little oil in a large pot and stew slowly. Boil up the peelings with water to a vegetable stock. Deglaze the shallots and celeriac with the white wine and pour in the homemade vegetable stock. Simmer over medium heat for about 25 minutes until everything is nice and soft. Add the cream and blend with a hand blender (or Thermomix). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Lightly caramelise a tablespoon of sugar in a small pan, add a dollop of butter and glaze the cooked maroon pieces well on all sides.

To serve, cut the apple into fine strips, sprinkle with a little lemon and drape on the soup with the glazed chestnuts.

Tip: The truffle oil can of course be added now. Because of the children, however, it is better to add the truffle oil when serving the soup.

Gingerbread Crème Brûlée – Vanilla Crescent Crumble and Wipfel.Gold Blueberries (serves 4)

VANILLA CRESCENT CRUMBLE

50 g grated almonds, 45 g icing sugar, 45 g flour, 50 g melted butter, salt, cinnamon, vanilla sugar, icing sugar

Mix all dry ingredients well, mix with the liquid butter and mix into a crumbly mixture. Place on a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for approx. 8 minutes.

Then mix in a bowl with vanilla sugar and icing sugar.

BLUEBERRIES

1 cup blueberries, 2 tsp Wipfel.Gold Vegan Honey

Heat the blueberries in a pan until dry, then add 2 teaspoons of Wipfel.Gold (Maiwipferl honey) and caramelise lightly.

When serving, caramelise the crème brûlée with a little sugar and a burner and top with vanilla crescent crumble and blueberries.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD CRÈME BRÛLÉE

250 g cream, 3 egg yolks, 45 g sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, 45 g dark chocolate

For the crème brûlée, bring the cream to boil with the sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. Remove from the heat, stir in the egg yolks and chocolate until it forms a creamy mixture. Pour into heatproof moulds, cover tightly with cling film and steam at 90 degrees for about 30 minutes. Then remove from the foil and refrigerate.

Have fun cooking and enjoy your meal with Moritz & Harry!